Denouement
by catchat4
Summary: de•noue•ment (dāno oˈmäN) noun The final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved. For anyone who loved the Divergent trilogy but would like a happier ending. This begins where Allegiant ends.


Denouement

My mind and body are exhausted. Am I awake or asleep? I feel like I'm trying to wake up but my entire body feels heavy, and my mind is in a fog. It's hard to think clearly and I feel like I don't even have the strength to open my eyes. I must be laying on a bed. I can feel how soft and comfortable it is beneath me. I smell a sharp odor – something like an antiseptic. Where am I? Slowly I open my eyes and I am in a small, plain white room with the bed I am laying in centered against one wall and a chair in one corner. Above the bed are screens I can't see and I hear a rhythmic beeping. A clear plastic bag containing a milky-white liquid is hanging from a metal stand near the bed. Everything looks out of focus and too bright. The light in the room hurts my eyes so I close them again. I can hear two female voices talking but they sound far away and at first I can't understand what they are saying. I don't know how long I lay still, trying to focus my thoughts. The voices sound closer now and I hear one of the women say.

"I think he's coming out of it. Go get the doctor."

I open my eyes again and this time I see an elderly woman standing over me. At first she has a concerned look on her face as she studies the panel of monitors above my head but when she notices I am looking at her she smiles.

"Tobias? Can you hear me? How do you feel?"

I can hear her, but the light in the room still seems too bright so I close my eyes again and I don't say anything. Who is this woman? Slowly as the daze wears off and I become more aware of my surroundings I realize there is a needle in a vein on the back of my right hand and I can feel a few electrodes stuck to my chest and my head. I try to move my arm so my hand can touch one of the wires but I can't. I try to move my other arm too and then my legs but there are thick straps of fabric wrapped around my wrists, ankles and stomach keeping me tied to the bed. My mind is becoming more alert as I continue to come out of the stupor and I begin to struggle against the bindings. Why am I strapped to this bed in this room? What is happening?

"It's okay Tobias. Don't try to fight." the same woman says to me in a gentle, calming voice.

"Where am I? What's going on?" I croak. My throat is dry and my voice sounds coarse.

"You're at the Erudite hospital." she replies "You're going to be alright. We've sent for the doctor. When he gets here he can explain what happened."

Erudite? What is she talking about? There are no factions anymore. Does she mean the hospital that was part of what used to be Erudite? I stop struggling because I'm weak and it's obvious that I can't break free but I don't like being tied down. I want to know what's going on.

A middle-aged man enters the room and smiles at me.

"Tobias. It's so good to see you awake!" he says. "My name is Dr. Hayes. I've been over your care since you were brought in."

He turns his attention to the nurse and says "Why don't we make Tobias a little more comfortable by letting him sit up and take off some of the restraints."

I notice the nurse looks a little alarmed when he mentions taking off the restraints but she only nods her head and says "yes doctor" and she begins to release the straps holding my feet, middle and my right arm which still has the IV attached. My left hand remains tied to the bed. She pushes a button and the head of the bed slowly begins to rise allowing me to sit up. The doctor in the meantime has pulled the chair from the corner of the room nearer to the bed and addresses me again.

"I apologize for the restraints. You had quite a few emotional episodes and we were having trouble restraining you. The bindings were for your protection as well as the safety of the hospital staff. I'm sure you're feeling a little confused and disoriented and you must have a lot of questions. I will try and answer everything for you that I possibly can."

I am confused. I still don't feel like I'm thinking very clearly. I don't know how I got here or why I am here. It crosses my mind to try and escape. I'm suspicious of these people but I know by the time I freed my left hand and got the tube and wires off of me they would tackle me and put me in the restraints again. I don't want that. I don't have the energy to fight anyone. I decide I might as well hear what they have to say.

"What happened?" I say in a hoarse voice.

"You've been in a simulation." he says.

A simulation? Old Erudite members have had me in a simulation? Running experiments on me? I feel a panic in me starting to rise.

Dr. Hayes must see the look of fear on my face and concern appears on his. "Tobias, everything is alright. We are not here to harm you. This is going to be hard for you to understand but...well, do you remember that Erudite used the Dauntless to attack Abnegation?"

Yes. Of course I remember that happened. That was two years ago. So much has happened since then. But what does that have to do with me being in a simulation now? Slowly I nod my head but I'm sure the doctor can see the suspicion in my eyes.

"The simulation the Dauntless were under did not affect you because you are divergent. You and Tris were captured and brought to Jeanine Matthews and she had you injected with another formula. A new formula she hadn't fully tested yet. The formula was intended to control you by eliminating your free will but it had a different effect on you."

My pulse begins to increase and my mind is racing. Why is he saying I'm divergent when I'm not? I am not genetically pure. I saw the test results that proved that. What have these people been doing to me and what do they plan to do with me in the future?

The doctor takes a deep breath and continues.

"Tobias, that attack on Abnegation happened only a few weeks ago. You have been caught in a perpetual simulation since Jeanine injected you with that serum. To be honest, we didn't know if you would ever come out of it. I have been monitoring the simulation so I know what has been going on in your head. The truth is most of it has been nothing more than your mind playing out a scenario due to the injection she gave you. It not only had you facing your worst fears but it seems to have created the need in you to confront all the difficult and important things that have happened to you in your life. Your mind has been locked in a battle with itself. You have been trying to fight the simulation and wake yourself up from it as only someone who is divergent can do, but your mind wouldn't allow it to end until you reconciled all the issues you've been dealing with. In your mind that took two years, in reality it has been just over four weeks."

My head is spinning. Everything that has happened was just a hallucination? What if that is a lie and this is a dream? How do I know I'm not in a simulation right now? I have been in simulations before when I knew they were only simulations but they still looked and felt real. How can I distinguish if what I am seeing and hearing right now is true?

"How do I know what's real and what isn't real?" I ask.

"Let me ask you something. What happened to Tris' mother?" Dr. Hayes asks.

"She was shot" I reply. "She ran into the street to create a diversion so Tris could get away from the Dauntless soldiers."

"How do you know that Tobias? You weren't there" the doctor says.

How do I know that?

"Tris told me" I say.

"Tris told you that her parents died. That they sacrificed themselves to save her. But Tris never told you exactly what happened did she?"

I have to think about that. What did Tris tell me? It would be easy to guess that her mother died from a gunshot wound but how do I know that she ran out into the street and shot a gun into the air with the intention of creating a diversion? Tris never gave me specific details, it was too painful for her to talk about.

"Everything you remember up until Jeanine injected you with that serum is real. Your name is Tobias Eaton. You were born in Abnegation, you transferred to Dauntless. Your nickname is "Four." You were the instructor over the transfer initiates. All that is real. Everything that has happened since Jeanine injected you with the other serum is...like a dream. A hallucination your mind invented. The brain is a fascinating thing. It took what you knew to be true and incorporated it into the scenario. What you didn't know, what facts you didn't have, your mind just made up to fill in the holes."

I think back to the attack. The banquet had been the night before. Tris had been ranked first. She had made it through initiation and had become a Dauntless member. I had been so proud of her. Just thinking about Tris sends an ache through my heart.

We were injected with the transmitters along with everyone else but the simulation hadn't worked on us, that much is true, but how does this man know that? I remember the blank stares of the Dauntless members as we had all boarded the train that brought us to Abnegation. I had wanted to run but Tris insisted we try to find and save her family. Eric had caught us and brought us to Jeanine. Jeanine told me she was going to experiment on me with the new formula and she was going to have Tris executed. But...the doctor said that everything that happened after I was injected wasn't real. Jeanine hadn't executed Tris. She had managed to escape and she...I heard her voice – that's what had brought me out of the simulation I was in after Jeanine injected me with the other serum. Isn't that what happened? Tris died because she took Caleb's place when we were trying to prevent the government from using a serum to reset the memories of everyone in the city. I think about all that happened to get to that point. Going to all the different factions and even temporarily joining with the factionless. Plans to destroy the faction system. Memory serums, death serums, genetic modification. Was it really only a made up story in my mind?

"What happened to Tris?" I barely get the words out.

The doctor smiles. "Tris is fine. She should be here soon. She comes every day to see you."

"Tris is alive?" That can't be true can it? I want so much to believe it is true. But I can't believe it unless I can see her and touch her.

"The doctor's smile widens. "Yes" he says. "As I said, I've been monitoring the simulation you've been under. I know you thought she died. But that was just part of the simulation. You were facing your worst fears. And one of your biggest fears was losing her. But first you had to deal with how you felt about her and work through what you thought she feels for you. You know her character and things about her, and all those things your mind worked into the hallucination because you know them to be true. Her words and actions, good and bad, were your imagination playing out what you thought she would say and do. And ultimately, the simulation forced you to face your fear of her dying."

I shake my head in disbelief. How could everything that has happened in the last two years be nothing more than a nightmare?

"What happened when Abnegation was attacked? How did it really end?" I ask. I'm still suspicious. Maybe I can detect a lie or some inconsistency in his story that will let me know if this is just a simulation. No matter how clever the Erudite are they can't know everything about me and every detail of my life so sooner or later a flaw in the story will appear.

"Not everyone in Erudite is bad." the doctor says with another smile. "There was a faction uprising when Jeanine launched that attack. The Erudite against Jeanine stopped the simulation. All the Dauntless that were involved were exonerated. Tris was found in a holding room when the simulation ended. Other than the shoulder wound she was unharmed. Jeanine, Max, Eric and everyone else that was involved are all being held and awaiting trial now."

The smile on the doctor's face fades as he continues. "Nine Abnegation council members were killed before the simulation was stopped. Your father was one of them."

I suddenly feel numb. "Marcus is dead?"

"Yes" he replies. He doesn't say any more but he looks at me closely trying to read my expression. If he knows my fears then he knows Marcus was one of them.

"My mother?" My voice is barely more than a whisper.

"Your mother died a long time ago, when you were just a boy." The doctor explains. "As I understand it, she died suddenly and unexpectedly and you didn't get the chance to say goodbye to her. You've had so many unresolved feelings about her all these years. So, your mind found a way to bring her back to life so you could talk to her again – to find a way to deal with the unresolved relationship. It makes sense doesn't it? You loved her and felt cheated that she left you when you were so young. Your mind was demanding answers from her. How your brain came up with the storyline it did I can't explain because I don't know. Like I said, the mind is a fascinating thing. I can only take my best guess based on what I do know and I think ultimately your mind gave you the answer you wanted and needed. I think it's what you've known deep down all this time. Your mother loved you. She wouldn't have left you if she had had the choice. She would have chosen you."

"Then how could I have let Tris die? Does that mean I think she would leave me?" I ask. Maybe I don't really want to hear this answer, but I have to know.

"I don't believe so. Tris saved you and you saved her multiple times. You kept coming back to each other even after conflicts because you love each other. The difference between what happened with your mother and what happened with Tris is that the simulation forced you to face your fear of Tris dying. It didn't make your mother die because you didn't fear losing her – probably because somewhere in your mind you already knew she had died. You had already been through that before, you didn't have to experience it again."

"Then what about Marcus? Nothing was ever really final between us. He left the city" I argue.

"Hmmm..." the doctor says. "Actually, I've been curious about that. I'd like to ask you a question. The last time you went through your fear landscape, before Jeanine injected you that is, was there anything different – did something change?"

I take a moment to consider this. The last time I went through my fear landscape was when I had invited Tris to go through it with me. Something had been different. She had felt the sting of Marcus' belt and tried to protect me. And because I wanted to protect her, for the first time I had faced my father and I hadn't been afraid. I had felt anger instead. It had been only a second...but it was different.

I look up at the doctor and slowly nod my head.

The doctor smiles again. "I think that's your answer. Tris told me the fears you faced in your fear landscape. A fear of heights, claustrophobia, shooting a woman and Marcus. And yet, in this simulation I didn't see much evidence of those. At one point you told Tris you had put yourself through your fear landscape again and you had the same number of fears, but you didn't really explain how it had changed other than you feared watching Tris die. Everything I saw in the simulation indicated that you thought you were afraid of Marcus but you never actually showed much fear of him. You seemed to be angry at him for causing you pain and you seemed frustrated that he had the power to manipulate and control people but you didn't seem truly afraid of him. When you hit him with the belt in Candor I think that was the most you could bear to do for retaliation and even that was controlled. You had already decided you didn't want to be like him. You couldn't be as cruel to him as he was to you. I think you also realized you never had the power to change him. You didn't want to hurt him but you didn't want him to be able to hurt you or anyone else either so you simply had him go away. Does that make any sense to you?"

I nod again. And then another question occurs to me.

"What's outside the fence?"

"Nothing. There is no government agency that put us in this city to use us as an experiment. Amity farms are all you will find out there and beyond that the ruins of another civilization that destroyed itself with war. Our ancestors created our society in a way they thought would be best to establish and keep peace. It's obviously not a perfect system, recent events have proved that. But what they built has lasted a long time. The fence was built to protect the city and our way of life should anyone else have come from some other place...but no one ever has.

"Excuse me Dr. Hayes" the elderly nurse appears in the doorway. "May I speak to you for a minute outside."

The doctor rises from his chair. "Excuse me Tobias. I'll be back in a few minutes."

He leaves me alone in the room. I lean back in the bed with my head against the pillow and close my eyes. What he is telling me makes sense but I still feel so confused. The events of the last two years feels so real to me. I still can't help wondering if that was a simulation or if I am in a simulation now. I can't determine which is real and which is mentally manufactured. I want this to be reality. If Tris is really alive. And Marcus...the doctor is right. I don't wish him dead but if he can no longer hurt me or anyone else - it would be too good to be true.

"Tobias?" I hear her quiet voice.

I look up quickly and I see her standing in the doorway. Is it really Tris? She looks just like I remember. Small and thin. So much expression in her eyes which right now are full of question and concern. The tattoo of the birds on her collarbone. The only difference is her blonde hair is long again. Of course, that makes sense. She didn't cut her hair until we were in Amity and if that was just a dream then she never really cut her hair.

She walks slowly over to the edge of the bed. I gaze into her eyes. I want it to be her but I don't know that I quite dare to believe it.

"Is it really you?" I ask, my voice shaking.

"Yes" she says softly. She reaches out and takes my hand in hers.

"How can I be sure?" I ask.

She smiles. "Well...ask me something only you and I would know."

I try to think. There were eyes and ears everywhere in Dauntless...always watching. There was only one place I ever felt was really safe.

"Where did we go after we went through my fear landscape?" I ask her.

"You took me down into the chasm." is her reply.

"And what happened?"

She leans down and kisses me lightly and then says "We kissed for the first time."

I'm suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. I reach up with my right arm and pull her against me so I can hug her. She looks like Tris, she sounds like Tris, she even smells the same. Either this is real or it's the best dream I've ever had and I never want it to end. She wraps her arms around me and holds me tight. I hear her softly crying against my shoulder and I feel tears filling my own eyes.

"I thought I lost you" I manage to choke out.

She finally pulls back to look at me. "The doctor said you might never wake up. But I didn't believe it. I knew you could do it!"

"You were right Tris" Dr. Hayes says as he approaches, looking a little guilty for interrupting us.

I sniff and quickly wipe my eyes with my hand, a little embarrassed to have both of them see me crying.

"Is he really going to be alright now?" Tris asks the doctor while wiping away her own tears.

"He should be fine. Probably go home in a day or two. Physically he's a little weak after weeks of inactivity but otherwise in excellent health. It will probably take some time for him to adjust to what is real and what was just the simulation." The doctor smiles at us. "I'm sure you have a lot to talk about so I'll check back with you later. I'll have the nurse come and disconnect you from the monitors and bring you something to eat too if you like." I nod and he turns and walks out of the room.

I look again at Tris and ask "Did the doctor tell you everything that's been going on in my mind?"

"No." she says. "He tried to explain some of what was happening to me but he said a lot of it was very personal. Ethically he didn't think it was right to tell anyone the details because he thought it was too private." A worried look comes over her face. "He told me that you were in a simulation that was making you face your worst fears – like a fear landscape simulation that would never end. But it was more than that – you had to deal with all the bad things that have happened to you." Tears begin to well up in her eyes again. "He told me that you thought I died, but he didn't tell me how. It's been so horrible watching you every day, knowing you were hurting so much and I couldn't do anything to help you."

I reach up and wipe a tear from her face. "But you were here for me even if I didn't know it. You didn't give up on me and that means more to me than you'll ever know" I tell her.

We are interrupted again, this time by the nurse. She undoes the strap to free my left arm, takes the IV out of my right hand and pulls the electrodes off my head and chest. It feels so good to be free of all the constraints. Tris sits on the edge of the bed and I hold her hand again. I don't want to let go of her for even a minute. I have so many questions and I begin to ask about things as they come to mind.

"Are your parents alright?" I ask.

She gives me a questioning look. I know she doesn't understand why I will ask her all these things.

"Someday I'll tell you all about what I dreamed" I explain. "But not right now. For now...can you just tell me the answers to what I ask so I know what is real?"

She smiles and nods her head. "My parents are both fine. They weren't hurt in the attack on Abnegation."

"And Caleb?"

"My brother?" She sounds shocked that I would ask about him. "He's alright. He made it through Erudite initiation. He's studying the aptitude test process and simulation serum. He thinks he can improve the process."

"What about Will and Christina?" I ask.

"They're fine. They both have jobs doing gate patrols out near Amity. But they're together so they're happy."

"Peter?"

Tris scowls. "Peter is at Dauntless. I don't know what his job is. I don't think anyone likes him. I've seen him in the Pit a few times and he's always alone. With Drew and Molly gone he doesn't have any friends."

"How are Zeke and Shauna? Are they alright?"

"Yes. They got engaged. They're planning on getting married next spring." She laughs a little and says "I've never seen a Dauntless wedding, I bet that's a wild celebration. They ask about you every time I see them. They're going to be really happy to hear you woke up and are coming home."

I smile. Relieved to know Shauna isn't paralyzed. And even though Zeke eventually forgave me in my dream it's even better to know that if I didn't do anything that hurt Uriah then he was never mad at me to begin with. Wait...is Uriah okay?

"Uriah? And Lynn and Marlene?"

"All good. Uriah and I were both offered Dauntless leadership positions.

"You're a Dauntless leader now?" I ask.

"More like a political leader in training. I want to be a Dauntless representative in the government" she says. "With Max and Eric and all the other Dauntless leaders gone..." she hesitates. "Did the doctor tell you about that?"

I nod. "He said they were going to be put on trial for their part in the attack on Abnegation."

"Dauntless elected new leaders" she tells me. "Most of them are older..they remember the way Dauntless used to be before Max changed things. You will be amazed at how much things have changed in just a few weeks. I think you'll like it – I think it's more like the Dauntless you wanted. Actually a lot has changed in the whole city. Not much is official yet, that will take time. But I think the attack on Abnegation had a big effect. Everyone wants all the factions to have an equal say in government now." She pauses and then asks "Did you know Uriah is divergent too?"

I look at her sharply. I knew Uriah was divergent but how does she know? Did he tell her that? And why is she talking about being divergent so casually where someone could overhear?

"It's okay to talk about it now" she says when she sees my worried look. "Now that Jeanine and everyone who was threatened by the divergent are no longer in control, we don't have to hide it anymore. A lot of people are coming forward and saying they are divergent – more than I ever dreamed. And the people who aren't divergent seem to be a little...almost envious of those of us that are. Your tattoos...remember when you told me you wanted to live the values of all the factions? I think a lot of people feel the way you do but they were always afraid to say it. People still have a lot of pride in their chosen faction but I think they realize now more than ever that just because that's their strongest virtue doesn't mean the others are less valuable."

"I knew he was divergent" I answer. "I ran his simulations too. Do you think the city will eliminate the faction system?"

"No. At least not for a long time. Too many people would resist a change like that. But something else has been happening. People have been wanting to see their families that are in other factions. The last few weeks people have been meeting at Grant Park on Sundays. It's like Visiting Day once a week. You should see it. People from every faction have been coming and more and more are coming each week. I've been going to meet my parents and Caleb. It's so nice to be able to see and talk to them. I think it will be better for the city and the factions too. Chances are we will be less likely to attack each other if we're more connected to each other. I think it would make it easier to leave the faction you are born in, if you don't really feel it's where you belong, if you knew you wouldn't be completely cut off from the family you would be leaving behind. Maybe it would allow people to feel free to make a different choice at the Choosing Ceremony...a better choice." She looks thoughtful for a minute before she says "It would be easier to make a brave choice...an honest choice...an intelligent choice..."

"And not be selfish" I add.

"And maybe.." she continues with a smile "That's the kindest thing any of us could do for one another – to go where we belong so we can do the most good."

I smile at her and look into her eyes before I pull her to me and kiss her.

"I love you Tris" I say.

She kisses me again. "I love you too, Tobias."

It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Tris and I came to see her family but they haven't arrived yet. I felt a little apprehensive about coming with her today. I don't want to intrude on their family time together and I worry about what they will think of us but Tris assured me she wanted me to be here. I look around in amazement at all the families I see. People wearing all colors, greeting and hugging and talking with friends and family who wear a different color clothing. I even see some faction members who are with people who can only belong to the factionless. It surprises me, but I guess it really shouldn't. Just because they are factionless doesn't mean they don't still have relatives who love them. And there could be a lot of reasons why someone might have chosen to leave their faction and become factionless – I almost did. These people may not have a faction identity but they are still citizens of our city and for that reason they can not be ignored like they have been in the past.

I realize Tris is watching me – carefully observing me as I see the people of the city coming together in a new way for the first time. I look down at her and smile but I don't say anything. I can't really think of anything to say.

I was released from the hospital ten days ago and as Tris told me, there have been a lot of changes. Most of the time change is hard, but all the differences I've seen have been good. I was happy to return to Dauntless. People I thought were dead were alive. People who had been cruel were no longer in charge. Dauntless members still exhibited that same enthusiasm for challenge and adventure they always had but now I sense something different among them – a feeling of camaraderie. The new Dauntless leaders offered me a new job too, as head of the training department. There will only be new initiates once a year but Dauntless members will continue to train and practice their skills all year.

Walking across the grass toward us is a boy wearing blue. He has dark hair and a hooked nose. I immediately recognize him as Tris' brother Caleb although I've never met him before. He is not as tall as I thought he would be. And suddenly I realize why. I only know Caleb because I have seen him through Tris' eyes in her simulations. She is so short that everyone seems tall to her. I let out a small laugh as I come to this conclusion and Tris looks at me with raised eyebrows.

I shake my head and say "It's Nothing. Sometimes things just...still seem funny to me." But secretly I love the little moments of realization like this one because they are the ones that prove to me that my life now is what is real and the other one, the one of nightmares, was just the simulation. She frowns at my vague answer but quickly dismisses me as Caleb walks closer and she steps forward to embrace him. I stand back and wonder if her family has always been affectionate which is rare for Abnegation or if this is also something new.

Tris turns back to me and says "Tobias, I'd like you to meet my brother Caleb. And Caleb, this is my boyfriend Tobias."

A brief look of surprise crosses Caleb's face at the word "boyfriend" but he quickly recovers. In my hallucination I had imagined that Caleb would be suspicious of our relationship and very protective of Tris. I wonder now what his real reaction will be.

But Caleb smiles and reaches out to shake my hand. "Nice to meet you Tobias."

I nod as I shake his hand. A gesture that still feels awkward to me but I'm getting better at it.

"How was your week?" Tris asks Caleb.

"Excellent" Caleb replies. "We're making tremendous progress on the new aptitude test serum. How about you Beatrice?"

I can't help smiling and Tris shoots me a look which I take as a warning that she will punch me if I ever try to call her "Beatrice."

"Good. I have so much to learn. There are a lot of changes happening in the government right now but it's exciting to think that I get to be a part of it." Tris replies.

Before they can continue their conversation we all see their parents walking toward us with Natalie carrying a box in her hands. Tris greets both of her parents with a hug and then introduces me.

Natalie smiles at me says "It's good to see you again...Tobias."

I feel a mixture of embarrassment and guilt run through me. I had met Tris' mother on Visiting Day but I was only known as "Four" then. I had been abrupt and a little rude at the time in my effort to avoid any questions which might have revealed my real name.

"Hello Mrs. Prior" I say sheepishly.

"Tobias Eaton" Andrew Prior says and offers to shake my hand.

I return his handshake firmly but inwardly I still wince at my full name. It connects me to Marcus. I don't know what they know or believe about Marcus.

"I have something for you Tobias" Natalie says and she hands me the box.

I am surprised at this. What could she possibly be giving to me?

"I volunteered to help take care of your father's things after he..." her voice trails off. "You know the Abnegation – not many personal items. Everything in his house was donated except this. I found it in your bedroom on the desk. I figured it belonged to you and thought you might like to have it back."

I suddenly know what is in the box. I open the carton and unwrap the blue glass sculpture. It looks like falling water suspended in mid-air. I look at it in silence and after gazing at it for a minute Tris comments "It's beautiful."

"My mother gave this to me" I explain. "I had to leave it behind when I left Abnegation. I...I never thought I would see it again."

I wonder again what Tris' family thinks of me. On top of everything else they might have heard about me, now they know I broke Abnegation rules and kept a forbidden item hidden for years. But when I look at the faces around me they aren't looking at me with disapproval or scorn. Instead they are all smiling. They see the joy on my face after recovering this precious gift from my mother.

I smile gratefully at Tris' mother and say "Thank you."

And suddenly I don't feel like an outsider among them. These are genuinely good people who don't judge and criticize others. They are the kind of family I wish I had been a part of. They are understanding and forgiving. They are Abnegation. Even though I wear the black clothing of the Dauntless now they are the type of people I most admire and strive to be like. I don't have a family any more, but I am content to be here with them and enjoy theirs.

We all begin to walk slowly together on a path through the park, Tris grabbing my hand and pulling me along beside her. My eyes take in all the people around me while I walk along silently, listening to their conversation. Good things are happening in the city and I am witnessing it right in front of me. I squeeze Tris' hand and I feel her squeeze back. For the first time in my life I am truly happy and I look forward to the future.


End file.
